More lessons from the book.
Factors that Affect Small Group Reproduction
- Leader’s prayer life
- Leader’s strategy/goals for multiplication
- Leader has effective training
- Group’s evangelistic efforts
- Group’s ‘outside’ meetings (the fun factor)
NON factors: gender, class, age, marital status, education, personality type, spiritual gifting
I love that their study found that the number one factor impacting whether a group grows and multiplies is if the leader is praying. Praying for the group in general, for the individual members, for where God wants to take them and what he wants to do in them.
Everyone who is not ‘goal oriented’ is rolling his eyes over number 2 – have a strategy and goal for multiplication. Okay. I’m just going to say it – If you want to lead, you have to have goals, and you have to have a strategy. Goals flow naturally from a VISION. And if you don’t have a VISION, and then a PLAN to achieve that vision (i.e. goals), you are not leading anyone anywhere. You are just hanging out. So. Make some goals. And stop rolling your eyes.
Lastly, the fact that personality type and spiritual gifting are non-factors honestly shocked me. I have always believed that if a person doesn’t ‘have what it takes’ when it comes to a winsome personality or gifts of leadership and teaching, the group is never going to see growth. However, as always, the Holy Spirit working (through the leader’s prayer) trumps the leader’s abilities.
If you lead a small group, are you being intentional in these 5 areas?
